The Dead House

It’s a howling October night. Midnight in a country churchyard. And laid out in an outbuilding is the body of a young woman. There are no signs of violence – but why is she wearing only a thin white summer dress? Why are her legs unshaved? And why is she surrounded by a hundred guttering candles?

Those are the questions that provoke the strangest – and perhaps the darkest – case of Fiona’s career. And, in an unforgettable climax, her investigations come to close in on her so very literally that she wonders whether she’ll ever see the light of day again.

“Griffiths jumps from the page, alive and vibrant . . . the denouement here wouldn’t seem too out of place in a story by Edgar Allan Poe – really, that spooky and scary . . . A series that, you’d guess, is entering its pomp . . . Impressive.”

Jonathan Wright, Crime Scene Magazine

“This is a quite brilliant novel and Griffiths a superb protagonist . . . There’s a languid genius to it . . . One of those stories where it’s worth reading every word. Only one issue stands out after this novel: why aren’t Harry Bingham’s books number one on every chart?”

Keith Nixon, Crime Fiction Lover

‘The settings . . . may be ancient but the crimes are modern. Griffiths gets more interesting with every book.’

Marcel Berlins, The Times

“Hallelujah! A new case for DS Griffiths, and it’s as wildly . . . entertaining as I’d hoped. I laughed out loud at times, but I was biting my nails [too]. You’ll love it.” 9/10 star rating.

Alex Gordon, Peterborough Telegraph

‘[Fiona’s] commitment is total . . . and her superior officers now seem resigned to working with this clever maverick and her big ideas . . . clever . . . interesting . . . masterly.’